BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world

Talk Back: When it comes to healthcare, can we move forward?

If the insurance debate isn't over -- and it's not -- how can we… (Karen Bleier / AFP / Getty…)

Healthcare overhaul -- note that we didn't call it reform (that appears to be a subject of some dispute) -- was wrapped up last year, we were told. Perhaps you recall the preceding and ensuing outrage, cheers and laments, all followed by a period of relative quiet. President Obama even signed the measure into law, a fairly official act by most standards. And still the politics continues.

Noam Levey, a D.C. reporter for the Tribune Co., wrote earlier this week: "Following up on their largely symbolic vote to repeal the new healthcare law, House Republicans moved ahead Thursday with more targeted efforts to advance their own healthcare initiatives, including deregulating health insurance sales." Read full story.

Columnist David Lazarus, writing for the Los Angeles Times, condemned such efforts: "The healthcare reform law, while imperfect, is a done deal. The prudent thing to do at this point is to build on it rather than waste time with fruitless — and needlessly divisive — political grandstanding." Read full column.

The continuing debate raises questions about whether we as a nation can accomplish anything further in the healthcare realm.